If you know you've got a crazy-busy week ahead, take a few hours over the weekend and do all five of these things. If the week ahead is looking a little less hectic, just knock a few of these off the list. Even if you only have time for one thing, it will help you cook better, smarter, and faster throughout your week.

1. Plan and shop

Sometimes the only thing standing between you and a home-cooked dinner is an empty fridge. Who has time or energy to go grocery shopping and cook when you just got home from a hectic day at the office?

If you don't have time to figure out a whole menu, make sure you have some basics in the fridge and pantry that you can turn into dinners, like hearty greens, eggs, pasta, and canned beans. And if you don't have time to get to the grocery store, you can always order online.

2. Wash and prep greens and herbs

As soon as you bring home fresh herbs and greens, wash and dry them. This one little step seems so simple, but can save you loads of time when it gets to dinner rush hour. If it's kale, collards, or chard, you can even remove the stem and chop the leaves so they're ready for cooking later in the week.

Let the greens (or herbs) dry throughly, then wrap them gently in a damp paper towel or dish cloth and seal in a plastic bag. Or transfer them to one of these nifty produce keepers.

3. Cook some grains or beans

A container of cooked whole grains—be it farro, rice, or barley— in the fridge is like money in the bank. It takes anywhere from 15 to 45 minutes to cook a big batch of whole grains, which you can do while you catch up on Netflix on Sunday night. Beans take slightly longer, but are also a good bet for a variety of weeknight meals.